A three dimensional model may be used to design a building before construction. Such a model may include various levels of detail, ranging from a simple rendering of the appearance of a building to a complex model including detailed descriptions of all components included in a construction project including wiring and pipes inside walls or Mechanical Electrical and Plumbing (MEP). A model of a building or construction projects may include various levels of detail for MEP information. A model may include a line-diagram for MEP providing information about the types of end-points, such as vent, electrical outlet and sink, and information about how they are connected, but without spatial information for the connections and without information about the types of wiring or ductwork connecting them. Conversely a more detailed model may include detailed three dimensional information about all aspects of an MEP system, including specific part numbers and a complete spatial model of all connecting wires, ducts, pipes and other components.
Designing a comprehensive model of an MEP system may be a time-consuming task, and require a great amount of manual work. Furthermore, when multiple people work on an MEP model, conflicts between different components of the system may arise and need to be resolved. The present invention provides a number of ways of automating the creation of a comprehensive model of an MEP system.